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The force feedback would be yet another layer of tetchy stuff to keep running in a really harsh environment.

I've know backhoe operators who strongly preferred older equipment, when its too new the pins are too tight and they have no "slop" to work with. That slop is what they're using for sensory input, if you watch them. With attention and experience that's real time feedback.

The whole machine is the force feedback mechanism. You're not just sitting there in a comfy chair pulling levers, you're on top of a collection of systems all singing their own song in response to the varying loads placed on them.



> The force feedback would be yet another layer of tetchy stuff to keep running in a really harsh environment.

Luckily, hydraulics offer a very easy way to do force feedback: Just measure the post-valve cylinder pressure.

That means you can have all your wiring and sensors in the cab far away from the dirt and rain. Makes force feedback pretty easy and cheap.




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